Zara and Mike Tindall have tested negative for coronavirus after trialling a new rapid 10-minute COVID-19 test.
The couple, who spent lockdown at their home on Prince Anne’s Gatcombe estate, uploaded their test results to a digital health passport after being filmed taking the tests at the stables on their farm in Gloucestershire.
Devised by Manchester-based tech-entrepreneur Louis-James Davis, The VHealth Passport and rapid testing kit is aimed at getting sports fans back into major events and stadiums.
It works by detecting coronavirus antibodies and takes under one minute to administer to a sports fan or professional athlete – providing results within 10 minutes with 98.7% accuracy.
The Queen’s granddaughter, 39, appeared nervous as the pin-prick was administered, though it was all over in a few moments.
Both Zara and Mike’s test results came out in under 10 minutes as “negative” before they were uploaded to the couple’s VHealth Passports in seconds.
Zara, who is a former equestrian world champion and 2021 Olympic Silver medallist, said the experience was “really simple and quick”.
She said: “This is a really exciting new technology that has such great potential for the equestrian world.
“For riders, who are travelling all over the country, and to other countries, this gives reassurance that they have been tested and are negative for Covid.”
She added: “And for those working on events including support staff, volunteers and the fans themselves it gives the confidence to come back to the sport we love and have the big events running again.”
Former English rugby player Mike said: “The VHealth PassportTM is test agnostic, so it can work with all and any approved COVID-19 testing kits or lab based testing.
“Our ‘negative’ test results were then uploaded to our VHealth PassportsTM in under five seconds and it means we get a green tick on a traffic light system on the VHealth PassportTM app on our phones.”
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Mr Davies describes the testing kit, which costs £15, as a “game changer for all sports fans” around the world.
He said: “Both Mike and Zara could easily see from taking the rapid test themselves how quick, safe and easy it was to administer and then uploading their COVID-19 test results to their VHealth Passports in seconds.”